Six Years Seven Days
by leiasky
Summary: A serious of short stories chronicling life in the bunker. Set between seasons 4-5. Unabashedly Kane /Abby focused.
1. Year 6 - Day 7

**Synopsis:** A culling. Again. The third time is definitely not the charm.

 **Six Years. Seven Days.**

Abby lay in the dark, eyes skipping over the nearly empty racks of medical supplies in the small store room that had doubled as their bedroom for the last six years. An excuse that she needed to be closer to Medical and he needed to be closest to the Council room earned a quick approval to move a narrow bed into a space filled floor to ceiling with crates and boxes. But that was then; six years ago. Now, there was more than enough room for twice their number in the space.

With an anguished sob, she rolled over in the narrow bed, snuggling against the firm chest of the man asleep at her side. He didn't move as she wrapped her arms around him, nuzzled her nose against his neck and inhaled his usually calming and familiar scent.

Everyone slept deeper these days as the oxygen levels fell. As the one hundred plus year old machinery struggled to accommodate the nearly fourteen hundred people still crammed into a bunker meant to hold considerably less.

The surface had been habitable for a year and seven days now. And they still hadn't been able to dig themselves out of a bunker built with the best materials 21st century money could buy. Communications had been cut when Praimfaya hit and hadn't been reestablished. They didn't even know if the kids had successfully made it to space.

So much uncertainty in a world that made it quite clear it was done with the race that had all but destroyed its natural beauty. But one thing was so certain it stole the breath from her lungs every time she treated someone experiencing oxygen deprivation.

It was long past the time when they needed to hold a vote to determine a course of action; A vote that would tear families apart. Again.

A third culling. Octavia was pushing for it. With Indra's grudging support. The weight of leadership had not been kind to the young woman. Had tested her in ways that had left her a broken shell of the girl who had assumed the mantle of command by winning a fight to the death. She'd lost her innocence in the process but had done better than anyone could have hoped. She'd kept the 12 clans together. Made them work to build a better, peaceful world.

This time she and Marcus were on the opposite side of that chillingly familiar argument. And Jaha – well, he hadn't changed. He'd been ready to carry out the job ever since the equipment began to fail. It was his responsibility, after all, to keep it functioning. And he'd stretched the resources far past their time. There was just no more left to give.

She closed her eyes and snuggled deeper into the warmth of her husband's arms. Remembered the day she'd been told a decision would soon have to be made.

 _The office/control room had been converted into a makeshift Council room not soon after the bunker had been sealed. Octavia and her advisors, Indra and Marcus, had permanent positions on the newly formed Council. With consultants from each bunker division invited to give updates when needed._

 _Abby stood opposite the three sitting at the table. Hands on her hips, her eyes flashing and temper flaring._

 _"We can't do this again."_

 _"There is no other option," Octavia insisted, unmoved by the older woman's fiery emotional display._

 _"Abby's right. There has to be another way." The heartache in his voice was unmistakable. Marcus knew from painful, personal experience how the weight of such a decision of this magnitude could weigh on a person. He'd never been able to forgive himself for his part in the first Ark culling. And he still woke from nightmares screaming over those he had to watch carried out of the bunker to die in a radiation-soaked death wave._

 _Octavia threw up her hands. "Of course you agree with her."_

 _"We've done this before."_

 _"And it worked," Indra offered. Direct as always._

 _"There's always another way. We just have to find it." His words were laced with hope but the tone betrayed the factual desperation behind them. He knew there was no other way._

 _Octavia's response was firm. Final. "We're out of time."_

Tears leaked from the corner of Abby's eyes. Today they would vote to cull a few so the many could survive. They would ask for volunteers. Again. Parents would give up their lives for a chance their children would again see the sun.

And this time, the personal impact would be devastating.

Because she knew he would be the first. And there wasn't anything she could do to stop him. His empathy was why she loved him so deeply. She should have known it would one day destroy her.

He would sacrifice his life for the small dark-haired boy curled onto the makeshift pallet by their bed. That little miracle of a child who had come violently into their world five months after they'd shut themselves below an irradiated surface and scraped and clawed to give some semblance of a happy, normal childhood.

His arms tightened around her shoulders and she buried deeper into his warm embrace. Of course he was awake. "Don't think about it."

"I can't lose you, Marcus," she whispered, her voice cracking with restrained emotion. She couldn't wake their boy. Not yet. It wasn't time. There wasn't that much left to them anymore and she selfishly wanted a few more minutes.

He tilted her chin up and thumbed away her tears before tugging her impossibly closer and depositing a gentle kiss to her trembling lips. She desperately tugged the soft strands of his thick hair and allowed him to swallow her moan with his talented mouth.

"I can't," she whispered desperately when their need for air drew them apart.

His hands slid to her backside, pulled her against his ever-growing erection and she instantly recognized that all too familiar attempt to distract her…

"Shh," he murmured as a hand slid beneath her sleep pants to dip into her heat.

…and she was desperately willing to let him.

"Marcus." His name was a simple breathy exhale as two long fingers joined the first to curl maddeningly in just the right spot.

His lips landed on her neck. Nibbled at the tightening cords. "Relax."

She exhaled sharply when his thumb teasingly circled that little nerve center. With expert precision, he increased the speed and scissored his fingers. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as he dragged his mouth from her neck and intercepted her moan with a toe-curling kiss. Her nails dug into his shoulders when he varied the pressure and she struggled to control the trembling in her limbs as he smoothly stroked her through a shockingly quick orgasm.

This time, he kissed away the tears that leaked from her eyes while his fingers brought her down from the sudden high.

With a watery hiccup, she whispered the heartbreaking words she never expected to ever have to repeat, "I can't do this again."

His only response was a heartbreaking sob, "I'm sorry."

Outside, a commotion she feared with a visceral heartache heralded the beginning of the end of her life as she knew it.

END

 **Author's Notes #1** : I hope you enjoyed my first foray into The 100 fic. This is wholly unbeta'd as I don't know anyone in the fandom so please let me know if anything is not clear or if you see any glaring, unacceptable mistakes.

 **Author's Notes #2:** I intend to add more self-contained chapters to this as the summer goes on (holy long hiatus Wonder Woman!) that will build on the narrative revealed in this first chapter.

 **Author's Notes #3:** And last but not least, all writers love feedback. If any of these stories have moved you in any way (whether good or bad), I'd love to hear it.


	2. Year 1 Month 1

Synopsis: Kane nearly dies protecting misbehaving Skaikru children.

 **Year #1. Month #1.**

* * *

The infirmary doors swished open but Abby didn't have the energy to even lift her head to see who had arrived. She knew Jackson was still lingering close by and if it were an emergency, she would know soon enough. Instead, she tightened her fingers around the prone hand under her cheek and squeezed her eyes shut.

She sensed a presence before she heard the question.

"How's he doing?"

Abby opened bleary eyes to see a Jaha-sized shadow fall over the stark white of the sheet covering the man on the medical bed in front of her.

With difficulty, she lifted her head to scan the steady readings on the screen beside her, take in the oxygen mask secured to his face and the IV line attached to his arm. "He's alive."

A few beats of silence fell before Jaha continued, as she knew he would.

"I know it's too early to consider-"

A cold chill raced down her spine because of course he would be the one to remind her of the bunker's limited resources. "Don't you dare finish that sentence, Thelonius." The controlled fury in her voice stopped him cold.

Choosing to keep her hands busy rather than jam something sharp into somewhere more sensitive than Jaha's thigh, she tapped the high tech (Cadogan apparently spared no expense for his angelic chosen) screen displaying remarkably stable readings.

"I hear congratulations are in order."

Abby exhaled slowly, head swiveling to regard him with calm suspicion.

He shrugged, undeterred. "It's a confined space."

She scrubbed her hands across her face. Because of course the boy Marcus had saved overheard a whispered conversation with Jackson when she thought he was sleeping. She'd only discharged him thirty minutes ago. Apparently, news traveled even faster here than on the Ark.

"It is," she conceded. There was no point in denying it.

The tentative smile he offered her looked strained to her sleepy eyes.

"It's good news."

When she didn't acknowledge him quickly enough, he repeated himself, more slowly, searchingly. "It _is_ good news, right?"

She returned to her seat and threaded her fingers through long, motionless ones and willed them to move. "Thelonius, I really don't want to talk about this with anyone but Marcus."

"He doesn't know."

"I only found out today." She bit out, tone more prickly than she intended.

His hand landed gently on her shoulder and she resisted the urge to shrug it off. They were friends but they weren't especially close. Not anymore. Not since he'd tried to kill the man she loved. He'd already succeeded once. And she would never give him an opening to do it again.

The door swung open and a purposeful Octavia approached.

"If you'll excuse us," Octavia said tersely and Abby wanted to hug her. The girl no longer bothered to hide her animosity for Jaha and it had only grown since their seclusion began.

"Of course."

Abby was mildly surprised that he capitulated so quickly and they watched him walk away, head held high and completely unaffected by the curt dismissal.

Octavia immediately glanced at her stomach and Abby resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"It'll be one of the 13."

Abby's stomach roiled. She hadn't had the time to think about the bunker's inability to sustain more than thirteen newborns over the next five years. It was a conversation that hadn't gone well with the resident population. Nor did Octavia's command that everyone be implanted with a chip that would be removed once their bunker exile had ended. There was no reason to believe there was anything wrong with her chip but it had apparently failed at some point. Otherwise, she wouldn't be in her forties and unexpectedly pregnant.

Her hands flew to her still very flat stomach. "I hope so."

The second time around, Abby caught the finality of the statement that was never a question to begin with. "It will be one of the 13."

Abby could only offer a breathy, grateful, "Thank you," in response.

Octavia's carefully controlled emotional façade cracked as she looked at her mentor and still unconscious friend. "And whatever he needs, do it."

Abby swallowed hard, recalling Jaha's irritatingly practical concern. But this was not the Ark and they would not be so draconian with resources this time around. The lessons learned in space had been heartbreakingly hard. But they were on the ground now and just as Marcus and Octavia had busied themselves with writing bylaws for the bunker by taking the good elements from the Exodus Charter, she would do the same when it came to the necessary use of resources under her supervision.

Octavia gently squeezed her shoulder and left Abby with her melancholy thoughts.

She resettled onto the uncomfortable chair beside Marcus' bed, linked their fingers and closed her eyes for a few moments of much needed rest.

* * *

 _It was a grounder who burst through the infirmary doors, startling Abby from where she stared disbelievingly at a data pad of her own medical records. Jackson hovered nearby glancing protectively at her while he instructed Niylah on how to chart the inhabitant medical records._

 _Abby didn't catch most of the rapidly delivered Trigedasleng and Niylah immediately translated._

 _"Pipes and racks collapsed in water recycling. Many hurt."_

 _Abby snatched up her medical bag. "Niylah, stay here and prepare for incoming wounded. Jackson-" but he was already at her side._

 _They tore out of the infirmary on the Grounder's heels, leaving Niylah behind to prepare for an unknown number of wounded._

 _Abby skidded to a halt once they reached the cavernous water reclamation room, eyes instantly sweeping over and triaging the area. Racks of heavy piping lay scattered across the cement floor and children of all ages were crying and cowering in the arms of whichever adult had reached them first. Water from an overhead pipe gushed onto the floor and a collection of people from multiple clans struggled to contain it._

 _A skaikru man who Abby recognized as someone who had done nothing but challenge Octavia's every decision, stood over a pile of pipes, directing a group as they removed and lifted overturned solid steel racks and piping._

 _Abby knelt beside the nearest child and breathed a sigh of relief once she determined that he had no physical injuries._

 _Her vision narrowed and time slowed when a large pipe revealed a prone form she would recognize from any distance. She ignored Jackson's call to be careful and navigated quickly over the fallen pipes toward a very unconscious and bloody Marcus Kane._

 _When two Grounders lifted him to reveal a mostly unharmed child, instant nausea threatened to bring up everything she'd eaten that day. Jackson moved to the child while Abby reached for the man to whom she hadn't spoken in weeks._

 _"Keep him still," she snapped, assessing the injuries she could see. She quickly stemmed the steady of trickle of blood from his head as the Grounders hovered close._

 _Dimly, she heard the child Jackson treated say through tear-filled awe, "He saved me."_

 _Instinct drove Abby's ever move as she evaluated her patient with a critical eye and steady, experienced hands. Bruising on his chest and back indicated there could be internal damage and she ordered the Grounders nearby to go back to the infirmary and bring back a stretcher. Before they returned, she'd diagnosed a broken leg, wrist and, as he hadn't yet woken, a severe concussion._

 _Hours later, when everyone was settled, she disappeared into the storeroom that also doubled as her bedroom and took a moment to have a mild panic attack._

 _After a moment, Jackson stepped in with a small flask of water that she gratefully sipped slowly. When she made to leave the room, a gentle hand on her shoulder stopped her._

 _"Take a minute. He's stable."_

 _"The kids?" She felt guilty for not checking sooner. But she knew Jackson had them. She knew._

 _"Nothing serious. Only one left for observation."_

 _She didn't need to ask. The one who'd been found under Marcus. The one who would be hurt far worse right now, or dead, if it hadn't been for him._

 _She cupped her hands over her still flat stomach. She'd confirmed the results just this morning and she'd not even processed the news herself yet. "He can't die, Jackson."_

 _"He won't."_

 _There was no way he could know that. And so his assurance left her with little comfort. She heaved a wobbly sigh and left the room._

* * *

She woke to a gentle tug on the hem of her shirt.

"Doctor Griffin?"

Abby blinked sleepily down at the little boy Marcus had saved. Over his shoulder the boy's father stood uncomfortably a few feet away.

"What is it, Matthew? Are you feeling okay?"

"He saved me."

Pride swelled through her fractured heart. "He does that sort of thing."

"I wanted to thank him but-"

Abby hoped her response sounded more convincing to his ears. "He'll wake up soon."

"I hope so."

The boy looked at Marcus with such adoration that Abby was suddenly struck with excitement about her unexpected news. Excitement over holding and raising a fiery combination of two strong personalities that would challenge them both at every turn. Until this very moment, she hadn't realized just how _badly_ she wanted it. "Did you want to wait with me?"

"My dad won't let me."

Abby nodded sadly. Completely contrasting other clans views of him, she knew the Skaikru disdain for Marcus went deep. He'd used Clarke's list but he was actually here, a physical presence toward which they could direct their hate. Once she repaired her relationship with Marcus, they were going to heal their people. Together. They couldn't spend the next five years like this. The most important thing she'd learned since they reached the ground was that they were stronger together. Always.

"I'll let him know."

"Thanks." The boy wandered back to his father and Abby watched them silently leave the infirmary.

"He made it."

Abby's head whipped around to find a bleary-eyed Marcus staring at the closed door, oxygen mask held lightly in a slightly trembling hand.

"Marcus!" She glanced quickly at his oxygen levels and removed the mask. "Don't move too much."

"That won't be a problem," he bit out through clenched teeth as he attempted to sit up.

She busied herself with a thorough check of his injuries, pressed and prodded at bruised skin. "Tell me when it hurts."

"Abby?" The gentleness in his voice stilled her hands and she lifted her head to meet his cloudy eyes.

She was struck with the sudden need to apologize. Begin the healing process between them sooner rather than later. "Marcus, I'm-"

"I'm not sorry, Abby." His voice was low, weak and the tone was stubbornly final.

She tensed but he continued before she could frame a response.

"You are _essential._ To the bunker. To our people." His voice cracked, full of emotion. "To me. "

She pursed her lips to keep them from trembling. She knew he was right. Her medical training alone made her essential personnel but her guilt over the countless decisions that caused the deaths of so many was overwhelmingly difficult to live with.

"I know," she whispered and would have chuckled at his wide-eyed response if he wasn't in so much pain. "I'm sorry it took you almost dying for me to admit it."

"Worth it," he grimaced as he tried to sit up again.

She reached out and gently cupped a whiskered cheek. Flattened the palm of her hand gently on his chest to keep him still and met his eyes with a stern, mildly reproachful glare. "Not to me."

He closed his eyes and when they reopened, they were filled with a pained longing. "Abby."

Abby leaned forward, brought their foreheads together. "I love you, Marcus. We will survive this."

The fingers of his unbroken wrist trailed purposefully down her neck, came to rest on the empty space her necklace, and its ring, used to reside. She flattened his hand there. Clutched it tightly, closed her eyes and relished in the comforting presence that she'd desperately missed over the last few weeks.

"Marry me."

Shock and awe were commonplace on the ground and in their lives now but Abby momentarily gaped at him with a new kind of wonder. To his credit, he remained still and quiet as she processed the not entirely unwelcome - or much of a surprise – words.

But her shock quickly gave way to a warmth and giddy excitement she hadn't felt in a very long time. After all, they'd fallen from the stars in a metal tin can and survived the impact. They could overcome anything. Together.

She leaned forward and touched her mouth to his. When they parted, she delighted in his cautiously patient smile.

"Yes."

END

* * *

Notes: The chapter names will reveal where, during the six years and seven days, the story takes place.


	3. Year 1 Month 2

**Chapter:** Year #1. Month #2.

 **Synopsis** : Abby witnesses first hand Skaikru's disdain for their own Ambassador.

Abby rubbed her forehead in an attempt to stave off a headache that had been brewing all morning as she walked briskly into the cafeteria. Lunch was served over the span of two hours and anyone who didn't get their meal in that timeframe needed to wait until the next. Abby was happy to see some progress in relations between all the clans as they worked side by side; everyone in the bunker given a task to keep them busy and productive. And those who served the meals were no exception.

Nausea roiled through her as she lifted a tray off the turntable and she contemplated putting it back and going without. But it wasn't worth another argument with Marcus about the lack of nutrition she'd been getting by skipping meals. Not feeling sociable and determined to get the meager meal into her system, she veered toward a small table in the corner of the room.

Her musing was interrupted when the father of the boy Marcus saved appeared at her side.

"Hi Doc."

It wasn't unusual for people want to chat with the bunker's head of medical but this man was not the conversational type. And so motherly concern for his son reared to the fore of her thoughts. "Robert. Is something wrong? Matthew?"

He quickly dismissed her concern. "He's doing fine. Thanks to you."

"Marcus saved him, not me."

His lips twisted into a snarl. "Heard you're back with the Chancellor."

Warning signals went off in Abby's head but she decided to take the bait anyway. Best to confront things head on rather than let them stew and do more damage. She and Marcus had learned that lesson more than once. "The break wasn't good for either of us. We've always been stronger together."

He shifted like an agitated animal and continued. "But he's not the Chancellor anymore, is he? Just some lackey for an inexperienced child who for some reason the Grounders look to for leadership."

Abby groaned inwardly. She'd traded one anticipated argument for another, it seemed. "Robert. You have to put this animosity behind you."

"I can't do that."

"Marcus saved your son." He'd be annoyed to discover she was once again defending him but she loved him and it hurt to see his own people hate him so thoroughly. He'd made impossible decisions to save his people. But he _had_ saved them.

"And killed my wife."

Abby rubbed her eyes. Damn Jaha for giving them hope. He'd put Marcus in an impossible situation and he'd paid the price for it ever since. She saw the haunted look in his eyes before they closed every night. Felt him struggle to wake from the nightmares. So many of his demons were not of his own making but he endured them nonetheless. "There was no good decision and you know that."

But the angry father clearly needed to vent and she, at this point, was willing to listen. Her nausea had all but disappeared but she had no interest at all in the food. "We could have taken them. Jaha had a plan."

"And then we'd all be dead, your son included. "

"Or we'd be alive. All of us."

"If you can bring yourself to think really carefully about the available choices, you'll realize that isn't at all true." She forced herself to relax as Robert grew more agitated.

The man's hands clenched at his sides. "Or you could have left the damn door shut."

"Abby?"

Abby closed her eyes. Now was not the time for Marcus to interrupt but there he stood, tray in hand, concern radiating off him in buffering waves she was certain Robert could feel.

Robert whirled, sneered and deliberately knocked the tray out of his hand. With his leg and wrist still healing, Marcus didn't possess his normal reflexes and the tray hit the floor with a loud CLANG.

"Traitor," the man spat and stalked away before Marcus could frame a response.

A few grounders stood but Marcus raised his bandaged wrist and waved them down. One of the servers hurried over to clean up the floor.

"Mind if I join you?"

Marcus slid into the seat opposite her as if nothing had happened. But she could see in his eyes, in the slump of his shoulders, how the incident affected him. A sharp pang rushed through her at the month-long part she'd played in his heartache.

But they'd made amends and she knew, _knew_ , he'd done everything possible, everything right, to save his people. He didn't deserve it. Or if he did, she and Jaha were equally responsible. But it was Marcus that continued to take the brunt of their hate. Probably because Jaha still courted insurrection and had earned their loyalty because of it. That would come back to bite him sooner rather than later. And he would deserve whatever punishment the Council decided to doll out.

She slid her tray to the middle of the table but he waved dismissively at it. "You need to eat."

"So do you. And I'm not hungry." She couldn't eat in front of him when he wasn't going to get anything until the next meal. There were no second helpings of the rationed food. Not yet. Not until they had a routine harvest from Agro.

He reached out and covered her closest hand with his. "Abby, you and the baby need the nutrition."

He used the same argument every time because he knew she couldn't counter it. And she wanted to slap the smug look off his face every time he uttered those words. She opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted as a fight broke out in the center of the room.

Between a lanky skaikru man and a bulky grounder.

Marcus stood, ready to wade between the two when security rushed in; Miller and two grounders, armed with guns and patience worn down by constant conflict.

Abby followed Marcus' gaze away from the main event and disappointingly pursed her lips when she noticed Jaha at a table with a few skaikru men, avidly watching the fistfight.

"Is he still inciting?"

"I don't know." And she didn't. She only had her suspicions. And they couldn't lock him up on that alone.

"The Council is losing patience with the constant conflict." Marcus sighed and Abby didn't envy him his position, both as Skaikru Ambassador and head of the bunker's diversely staffed Guard. "I'm loosing ground trying to convince them not to bring him in without proof."

She nodded, hoping her suspicions were unfounded. "It hasn't been this bad since you announced the contraceptive measures."

"That was uncomfortable in more ways than one," he admitted with a wince and she knew exactly how he felt. They hadn't been on speaking terms at that point.

 _Abby stood as the guest speaker in a room outfitted with a table large enough to hold the representatives of all twelve clans; a newly formed Council that would administer the soon to be drafted laws that would govern life inside the bunker._

 _She very carefully avoided Marcus, who, of course, had been chosen by Octavia to continue his role as Skaikru ambassador. Octavia had insisted they were all Won-kru now but she recognized the need for a Council and had chosen one representative from each clan to represent their interests and bring each unique point of view to the table._

 _Addressing Octavia directly, she was able to keep from meeting his eyes, still furious with his blatant disregard for her wish to be topside when the death wave hit._

 _There was no reason to beat around the bush. The sooner she delivered her news, the sooner she could get out of Marcus' vicinity. "I have the equipment necessary to replicate the contraceptive chips the Ark used to regulate pregnancy."_

 _Indra, at Octavia's right, wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Such a thing is unnatural."_

 _Abby was disgusted with the fact that they were seemingly back on the Ark again, enacting its very same restrictive measures to 'save' lives. "It's either that or the scrubbers won't be able to compensate for the extra oxygen usage and we'll have to start sacrificing lives."_

 _"Yes, we've already been briefed by the chief engineer," Octavia interrupted, and not for the first time did Abby notice the strain and stress in the young woman's eyes and in the way she refused to say Jaha's name. He was the bunker's most qualified engineer and had been tapped to head up that crucial bunker department. Of course, he'd already given the council a report._

 _Over the last week, and with incredible reluctance, Abby had begun to admit to herself that her skulls were essential to the last survivors of the human race. But it didn't make Marcus' betrayal sting any less. And she couldn't face him. Could barely look at him, even. Not yet. "Jackson and I are still in the process of evaluating every resident. We can focus on generating baseline health reports on the women for now and council them on the device."_

 _"Bylaws using the practical parts of the Exodus Charter and clan culture are almost complete. Once the Council ratifies them, they'll be posted and an announcement will be made. I want to include the temporary contraceptive measures at the same time."_

 _Abby was impressed with how well spoken and knowledgeable Octavia had become in such a short amount of time. But she had the best possible mentors in Indra – and Marcus. "I'll get you numbers on how many women are already pregnant so we can figure out a solution."_

 _"The number is thirteen."_

 _Abby struggled to keep her surprise in check. It was such a small number. Smaller than she expected. And there was no way they were going to be lucky enough to discover fewer than thirteen women already pregnant._

 _Octavia glanced to her left and Abby resisted directing her attention to Marcus as he spoke._

 _"Jaha confirmed he can stretch the scrubbers to accommodate thirteen newborns only."_

 _Abby directed her shock toward Octavia. "There are more women here then men. What if they are already pregnant?" She knew the answer already. And she didn't want to spare him the agony of having to voice it._

 _Abby refused to look at Marcus as Octavia directed him to continue._

 _"There are a few options and none of them are ideal."_

 _Her gaze slowly shifted toward Marcus and to his credit, he didn't wilt or shrink from the heat. But he looked exhausted. And defeated. "Obviously."_

 _"Termination or voluntary sacrifice are the only options available at this time."_

 _Abby felt rage bubble up from the pit of her stomach. It was the Ark all over again. And again there was no good choice but dammit she wasn't going down that well-trod road again. "Or Jaha can stretch the scrubbers to accommodate every currently pregnant woman's child," she snapped._

 _To Marcus credit, he didn't argue. At least something from the Ark had changed. "Get us a final number and we can approach him with the question."_

 _She directed her attention back to Octavia. "Done."_

Abby was jolted out of her reverie by the sound of a tray being slid in front of Marcus. Even though the two-hour mealtime had ended and no more food was being served.

Before he could refuse, the grounder held up a hand. "There was extra."

A triumphant grin spread across Abby's face as she put a spoon to her mouth. "Eat up."

But he wasn't looking at her. Abby's gaze tracked his and they both watched as Jaha slipped from the room as the two combatants were detained by the Guard.

Normally, she'd be instantly distracted as he absently rubbed his scruffy chin. Now, she was more concerned than aroused. "He's up to something."

Marcus pushed his tray away and stood to follow Jaha.

A hand darted out to circle his wrist, concern flooding her eyes. "You aren't healthy enough for a fight, Marcus."

"I'm hoping he'll listen to reason." He leaned down, pressed a quick peck to her cheek and glanced at his tray. "Don't waste the food."

Abby watched him limp away with a dread she couldn't quite dismiss. She glanced down at the food and was tempted to push away the tray until her traitorous stomach growled loudly. Rubbing her hand over the growing bulge, she hissed with a conspiratorial whisper, "Siding with your father already, hmm?"

Marcus found Jaha bent over blueprints and schematics atop a long table

in the small engineering office.

"I haven't yet worked out how to stretch the allowance past 13," Jaha said without looking up. "But I will."

Marcus had worked with him for long enough to know that if it could be done, Jaha had the temerity and arrogance to get it done. "I know."

Jaha stood and settled a heavy gaze on his friend. "But that's not why you're here."

"I need you to take on an apprentice."

"Do I get to choose the appropriate applicant?"

"Naturally."

"But?"

"We have a few promising candidates."

The narrowed eyes gave away Jaha's revulsion as he quickly worked out the problem. "And none of them are Skaikru."

"We need more people trained in bunker systems operations. Every other department head has already selected an apprentice as well as an understudy."

"Don't think I'll live the next five years?" The question was a deliberately laced accusation and Marcus didn't take the bait.

"We grew up on a disintegrating Ark, Thelonius. We have to plan for anything."

"I'll take on two and the Council accepts my choices without question."

Marcus kept his surprise in check at the sudden capitulation and instantly responded with a clipped, "Fine."

Jaha didn't even attempt to keep the smug tone out of his voice. "Don't need to vote on it?"

Marcus used every diplomatic skill he'd learned on the ground to keep his desire to choke Jaha in check. Arguing would get him nowhere. "As you are well aware, you have the experience needed to run these systems and without them, everyone in this bunker would be dead. There isn't exactly a choice here. I can make Octavia understand that."

Jaha smugly returned his attention to his blueprints and not for the first time did Marcus really, really hate diplomacy.

Later that evening, snuggled closely in bed after a long, stressful day, Abby comfortingly rubbed Marcus' uninjured hand over the soft swell of her suddenly fluttering abdomen.

Behind her, she delighted in his sudden intake of breath as he felt this very real child growing within her for the first time.

"He's been active all day."

Marcus cuddled closely behind her. Wrapped her more securely in his arms. "That's – Abby, how do you-" He trailed off, his voice an awe-filled emotion that made her heart swell with even deeper love.

She rolled within the circle of his arms and flattened his palm on her little baby bump.

"Clarke sat really high on my ribcage and I had morning sickness the entire time. This one is really low and has reduced my bladder capacity to the size of a pea."

Disbelief crossed his face and she hid a chuckle with a kiss to his parted lips.

"You know what else is different?" She settled her head on his shoulder as her fingers danced down his chest. When they reached the waistband of his shorts and slipped inside, his eyes widened comically.

But he recovered quickly and large, confident hands slid around her backside to pull her closer. His voice was an octave deeper as he whispered against the soft skin of her neck, "Sex has never been a problem for us."

She laughed and continued her languid strokes, excited that the cast had finally been removed from his leg and any residual pain didn't seem to be interfering with the rapidly swelling, velvet heat beneath her hand. "I wasn't interested in sex when I was pregnant with Clarke."

"Oh."

With his help, she shed her well-worn panties and pushed his shorts down just enough to free his heavy, swollen erection.

She swung herself over his narrow hips and rubbed herself against him like a cat in heat as his hands came down on her waist to let her lead.

Leaning over him, she fused her mouth to his as she sank down, taking him in to the hilt in one swift, breath-stealing motion.

She swiveled her hips in short, solid thrusts, desperately chasing that all-so familiar high. Just as it began to coil in the base of her spine, there came a frantic knock at the door.

"Ugh, no," Abby breathed as she quickened her pace.

His fingers slipped between them to tease that tight little bundle of nerves just above where they were joined.

"That's it. Let go, Abby," he panted. The unendingly direct pressure had her vibrating with pleasure as she spiraled into the strongest, quickest release he'd ever given her.

She flattened her hands on his chest and trembled, regretfully unable to sink into his arms and ride out the smaller, residual tremors, come down from the high and feel the burst of heat as he reached his own.

The knocking continued and she slid to his side taking the slick, velvet heat of him in her small hands and applying sweet, solid pressure from base to tip.

Until a hand came down over hers. "It can wait."

Abby was stricken as the knocking became more urgent. She enjoyed watching him come undone beneath her expert touch and didn't want to deny him the pleasure. "Marcus…"

"Later." He removed her hand and pushed her toward the edge of the bed.

"Abby?" Jackson's muffled voice further ruined the mood.

The strain in his eyes gave her pause and she twisted her head toward the door, "Give me a minute!"

Instead of letting her focus on giving him a quick release, he swung his legs over the bed and pulled her upright, searched for her discarded clothing and tossed it at her.

"Later."

Once she'd dressed, still looking thoroughly debauched, she leaned into Marcus' space and kissed him hard. "That's a promise I plan to keep. Now get back to bed unless you want Jackson…"

He flopped onto the mattress with a wince and covered himself before she could finish her thought.

When she pulled open the door, her post-orgasmic high vanished at the panic on Jackson's face.

"Mala is miscarrying,"

The Trikru woman was only five months along.

Abby closed Marcus inside their tiny sanctuary and hurried after Jackson, already steeling herself for an unfortunate outcome.

END

Notes: Would love to have someone beta read the next few chapters if anyone has experience and is interested. Some twists coming up that I want to make sure make sense. Please don't reach out if you just want to read these chapters in advance of everyone else!


	4. Year 1 Month 3

**Chapter** : Year #1. Month 3

 **Synopsis** : Kane asks Indra a very important question.

Abby shifted on the narrow bunk and huffed when a large hand slid around her hip to gently rub her swollen belly. He'd taken to doing it a lot more since she started showing. Normally, she would relish his large hands protectively covering that little life they'd created, but not this morning. Instead of feeling comforted by the gesture, she was instantly annoyed. She was hot, there wasn't enough room for them in the same bed and she wasn't at all in the mood to feel his morning erection pressed against her lower back.

"Marcus."

His hand stilled.

She found herself unreasonably infuriated when she felt his entire body tense. She was not in the mood to deal with him fretting over every little thing regarding her condition. _He_ didn't have to do any of the work. _He_ got to move around the claustrophobic bunker without the burden of swollen ankles and the inability to bend over and pick up something her clumsy fingers had dropped. And she'd lost two patients in the last month. Her nerves were frayed and there was nothing to be done about it. Who healed the healers? Normally, their partners. She just wasn't in the mood for him right now.

"What do you need?" he asked slowly, tentatively, in that protectively concerned tone he reserved only for her.

She shoved herself off the bed. "There's nothing to do but bear it."

"I'm sorry."

If she hadn't been forced to use his solid body as leverage to get herself off the bed, she'd have missed his quickly masked frown.

She heaved an exasperated breath, readying herself to placate his bruised feelings but he saved her the trouble when he helped her stand and then slid out from behind her.

She wrestled with her annoyance in guilty silence as she watched him quickly dress, something she was finding harder and harder to do, until he turned ready for the day.

"Can I get you anything?"

It took a few extra seconds for her to answer and even then the response was a quiet, "No."

Gentle hands came up to cup her cheeks and she found herself leaning into the brief kiss he dropped against her lips. "I love you."

Her heart thudded sharply against her ribcage as he turned away, but she gripped his fingers and pulled herself into his space. No words were needed as she sank into him, never more grateful for his unending patience when it came to her growing mood swings.

* * *

Indra watched proudly as a Trikru warrior easily flipped a Skaikru weakling onto the mat. While she knew she should be more objective now that all twelve clans were living, training in this tiny bunker, she would always feel pride in the success of her own birth clan.

She barked instructions and beamed with pride as the Trikru warrior flipped his Skaikru opponent again.

"Any chance you could give Abby a break today?"

Indra would have bristled at the request if it had been made by anyone other than her unlikely friend and Skaikru Ambassador.

"If they don't learn, they hurt. Until they remember. Then they don't hurt."

Kane had the temerity to look amused. "The Trikru motto?"

"No warrior who trains under me forgets."

They watched in silence for a few moments and just as the Skaikru man landed on his back for the third time in a row, he said, "Teach me."

Indra shot him a sideways glance meant to intimidate and discourage. "I believe you asked me to go easy on Doctor Griffin today."

He didn't look her way. Simply continued watching the rough combat unfolding in front of him. "I'd like to learn more about your training methods."

"Then watch me train."

"Watching is less effective than doing."

Something in his unrelenting tone stopped her from instantly denying his request. There was something more to this and she would uncover it before she gave him her final answer.

"Your injury-"

"Healed."

She scrutinized him with the gaze of a warrior accustomed to exposing and exploiting weakness but all she found was an anxious determination for her to agree to his request.

The silence drew on until he turned fully toward her and asked, "Indra. Please."

There was a hint of desperation in the plea and it was suddenly very clear why he'd come to her now when he'd never shown an interest in participating in the usually violent and bloody matches. He was going to be a father. It was natural to feel a fierce protectiveness for ones child.

She faced him fully, eyes firm and demeanor immoveable. "Inside this room, you will do as I command."

"Is that a yes?"

Indra whipped around to address her students. "Yu're odon!" The Trikru warrior pulled up instantly but the Skaikru man didn't understand and remained in a defensive crouch.

Kane translated. "Lesson over, Maxwell."

Maxwell cautiously stood and gave a curt nod. "Yes, Sir."

Indra escorted them out of the room then shut and locked the door.

"No bystanders allowed?"

Indra strode toward him, eager to wipe the amused smirk off his face. "Saving your pride."

"So that's a yes."

"I won't pull punches."

"I would despair if you did."

Her hand darted out and collided with his sternum sending him hard to the mat. He blinked up at her in surprise as he rubbed at the stinging pain and gulped a few deep breaths.

"First lesson."

He grunted and determinedly pushed himself to his feet. "Never let your guard down?"

Indra cocked her head. Perhaps he would be an interesting challenge after all. And she would have many an amusing story to tell his offspring.

He set his stance in what she could only assume was what passed for hand-to-hand combat in his world. "Close quarters combat was required training for a Guard on the Ark."

He blocked her next punch but missed the even quicker sweep of her leg. He went down again with an annoyed grunt.

He stubbornly stood and mimicked her stance. He impressively blocked the first punch and the second, but missed the leg sweep again. He went down and glared exasperatedly up at her. No mercy, she'd told him. But perhaps she would go easy on his recently injured leg.

Indra's smug smile was unmistakable as she stood over a prone Kane. "I will apologize to Doctor Griffin on your behalf."

* * *

Abby glanced up from her data pad as Indra strode confidently into the infirmary sporting a thin cut above her left eye. A disheveled Marcus limped in behind her but veered into the washroom; a convenience Abby had been grateful to have when bloodied patients needed to be cleaned.

Torn between going after the man she loved or grilling Indra, she chose the easier option. "What happened?"

"He got lucky."

"Marcus was the one limping."

Abby gathered the supplies to treat Indra's injury but when she got close, the warrior waved her off.

"He needs this."

Abby eyed the woman with skepticism born of far too much experience. "To get his ass kicked?"

"To be strong."

Abby recoiled as if she'd been struck and was immediately offended on Marcus' behalf. "He's the strongest man I know."

"With the weight of hundreds of deaths on his shoulders."

Abby gaped. No. They'd talked about this. Cried over it, even. "That's not – he shouldn't be– He saved our people."

"He did."

Abby swallowed around the sudden lump in her throat and could only blink in stunned silence as Indra reached out to place a hand on her swollen belly.

"Your child is a new beginning."

Abby bit her lip and could only nod as Indra continued.

"For all of us."

* * *

After taking a moment to force down the annoyance at Marcus willingly putting himself in harms way by sparing with Indra, Abby slipped into the small bathroom and reluctantly appreciated how the athletic shadow behind the shower stood unmoving under the hot torrent. This was the only room in the bunker that didn't contain a water rationing valve set at precisely two minutes.

With only a moment's hesitation, she pulled off her clothing and slipped in behind him. It wasn't a surprise that he didn't register her arrival as he rested his forehead on the cool tile under the shower-head. He clearly felt as bad as he looked.

Abby's fingers twitched as her expert eyes scanned the multiple purpling bruises on his shoulders and back.

She leveled a hard gaze at the back of his head as he breathed a resigned, "I can hear you thinking."

She stepped forward and pressed gentle fingers to the bruises. "I can't waste resources on voluntary injuries."

"Nothing's broken."

"I see."

He turned gingerly and regarded her with a sheepish look. "Nothing that twelve straight hours of sleep won't cure."

She rolled her eyes and pushed herself into his embrace, "You idiot."

He huffed a laugh as she rested her cheek against his chest and she felt mildly comforted as his arms came gingerly around her.

"What hurts?" Her voice was muffled but she knew he heard her.

When she pulled away to look up into his shadowed eyes, she nearly had a shred of pity for the pain to which he'd voluntarily subjected himself. Nearly.

"Everything?"

She bit her lip and quickly lowered her forehead to his chest so he wouldn't see the amusement dancing in her eyes.

Once she'd schooled her emotions, she glanced up at him from beneath her eyelashes and as seductively as she could manage with her growing belly between them, whispered, "So – not in the mood tonight, hmm?"

His fingers tangled in her wet hair as he pulled her close and kissed her with all the passion of an exhausted man who had been practically beaten half to death. When they parted, she almost laughed at the regret reflected in his eyes. "The mind is willing…"

Abby did her best but couldn't hold back the laugh and leaned against him again, marveling at just how exhausted and in pain he must be to turn down sex. It didn't matter how exhausted they'd been in Polis. They made the time. She decided not to question just why she was suddenly horny when this morning all she had wanted to do was take his head off for the most minor of things.

* * *

 _Abby glanced up from her book as the door swung open and an agitated Marcus stomped through. She'd barely had time to stand from her seat by the window before he'd pulled her into his arms and kissed her, tongue sweeping into her mouth with such passion that she could do nothing but hold on for the ride. The book fell unnoticed to the floor, followed by every stitch of clothing, until Abby happily sank into the soft bed beneath him._

 _She wanted to ask what had happened but then his lips landed at That Spot on her neck and his long, talented fingers slipped between her thighs and any further coherent thought vanished in a haze of urgent, eager pleasure._

 _Brought to brink of overwhelming pleasure, she clung to his shoulders as he settled into the cradle of her thighs and thrust home in one long, single stroke. Her eyes fluttered closed and she gasped with each sharp snap of his hips, relishing his own breathless groans. She went along for the incredibly pleasurable ride, unable to believe they'd come so far. That at this point a year ago, they'd been at one another's throats in a far, far different way._

 _But now they were on the ground. Life had chosen a new path for their lives._

 _How times had changed._

* * *

Now settled in bed for the evening, Abby smiled contentedly as she pulled a deeply sleeping Marcus' arm around her belly and rested her hand over his.

How times had changed, indeed.

Their struggle to keep their people alive had been emotionally devastating.

But some good had come out of all the pain. Like the little life sleeping contentedly beneath their entwined hands.

They'd made their baby that night in Polis and if he wanted to learn how better to defend his child from unexpected threats, she wasn't going to stop him.

END

Notes: Much thanks to Amy for beta reading this chapter!


	5. Year 1 - Month 4

**Chapter Name:** Year #1. Month #4.

 **Synopsis** : 13.

A long, low moan filled the cramped medical supply store room that doubled as their makeshift bedroom and Abby's fingers flexed wide where her hands lay flat against the wall. Her chin rested against her chest and she canted her hips backward so that her growing belly wouldn't be pressed too hard into it. She could no longer comfortably lie on her stomach so they'd improvised and found another way.

Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as the pressure against her back focused on a particularly hard knot. "Oh, God. Don't stop."

She didn't even bristle at the smug chuckle that reverberated right through his hands where they worked their magic on a back full of tension.

As much as Abby would have preferred to enjoy her massage in silence, they'd found their limited private time always gave way to Council and bunker concerns. She wasn't a member but he didn't seem to care. They talked about everything. "Have you found any evidence of Thelonius' involvement?"

While a majority of the early bunker violence had been curbed by Marcus bringing on more Guards, they'd discovered that when a fight broke out there was always a disgruntled Skaikru participant involved.

"Nothing. And I expect Octavia's announcement today enacting more stringent punishment for convicted crimes isn't going to go over well with him and those loyal to how he wanted Skaikru life in the bunker to be."

Abby's eyes fluttered as his talented hands hit another tight knot. "You've done everything you can, Marcus."

"It's never enough."

The defeated tone in his voice caused her to whirl around faster than he could react and wrap her fingers around his whiskered cheeks. This is what they did now. Talked the other down from the melancholy edge. "You have helped save the entire human race." She could feel him ready to deny her words, so she leaned against his chest as best as she could with her belly between them and enclosed him tightly in her arms. "We have found our humanity again. And you're a big part of the reason why."

It took a moment but his arms came tightly around her and she closed her eyes, content with his heart beating strongly beneath her cheek.

* * *

 _A stern-faced Octavia stood on the circular walkway while the population of the bunker crammed themselves into every available space below. Her speech was broadcast through the various rec rooms and public gathering locations throughout the bunker as well, required viewing for all._

 _The twelve Ambassadors flanked her along the walkway and scattered throughout the population were Marcus' multi-kru Guard. On the lookout for any dissention in the ranks of those who had dogged Octavia's every command since the bunker door had been sealed._

 _A six months pregnant Abby stood beside Jackson on the lower level, watching the announcement with anxious trepidation. The violence needed to end if they had any hope of surviving the next five years. If increased punishment resembling the most severe on the Ark needed to be enacted to make that possible, Abby would support it. But she knew Marcus had his reservations. He'd been responsible for enforcing law on the Ark and he wasn't eager to repeat the experience._

 _As expected, various onlookers in the crowd erupted with anger but Octavia placated them with assurances that everyone could do their part by being vigilant of their shared surroundings. Not fighting over little things. Reporting suspicious activity. Marcus was concerned these ideas would sow more discord but his reservations fell on deaf ears._

 _"If you see something troubling, report it. The Guard will investigate. A trial will prove innocence or ensure guilt." Octavia indicated Marcus to her left. "Ambassador Kane is well-respected among the clans and the multi-kru Guard he leads will be fair to everyone."_

 _Abby beamed proudly at the well-deserved recognition but that pride was short lived as the next events unfolded in slow motion before her shocked, disbelieving eyes._

 _Marcus, as usual, took Octavia's compliment with a small smile, while he continued to scan the assembled crowd from his vantage point. Abby knew that he'd seen something suspicious when his eyes narrowed on someone behind her in the crowd. He barked out an order and dove in front of Octavia, jerking sharply as a bullet ripped through his shoulder._

 _Chaos erupted with a few Guards going down, Ambassadors dove for the floor and residents scattered in fear. A Skaikru man armed with a handgun leapt onto the walkway beside Marcus who knocked the gun's aim off just enough so that the bullet tore through Indra's shoulder instead of her chest as she pushed Octavia through the office door and slammed it shut._

 _Ignoring his injured shoulder, Marcus flipped the gunman with a move Abby recognized as having seen in Indra's combat lessons. The gunman went down but just as Marcus whirled to take on the next assailant, another shot caught him square in the chest._

 _Abby watched helplessly as he went down hard right in front of the closed office door and her horrified scream joined the muted commotion echoing in her ears._

 _The Guard quickly subdued the remaining gunmen, restraining them with unrestrained fury. Abby ignored Jackson's cries to wait as she sprinted toward a motionless Marcus as quickly as her swollen ankles would carry her._

 _Once she reached his side, she knew. She'd been a doctor for a long time. He was lying on his side in a pool of blood facing the closed office door. The last act of a man determined to protect his people; their leader. The pain as she dropped to her knees was nothing compared to the spread of it through her rapidly constricting chest. Trembling fingers confirmed the diagnosis when they reached for a pulse in his neck._

 _Finding nothing, she tugged sharply and rolled him toward her, desperate to be wrong. The intensity of the sobs that ripped from the depths of her heart were so intense she could barely breathe as she flattened her hand in the sticky, life-ending heat of the blood flowing from his chest._

 _She dimly felt Jackson's presence beside her as he reached for Marcus' wrist but she didn't bother looking at him. She already knew what he would find._

 _As if she was a specter looking on the scene from outside her body, she dimly saw the office door swing open and an armed Indra stand solidly in front of an equally armed and furious Octavia._

 _If Abby hadn't already been numb with disbelief, the synchronous way the two warrior's gazes dropped to the floor to regard Marcus' motionless body would have been comical._

 _Guards surrounded them and Indra repeated Jackson's action moments before, hand darting out to feel for a pulse Abby already knew she wouldn't find._

 _Octavia stood over them, shock and fury growing rapidly across her blood-streaked face in equal measure._

 _Dimly, Abby heard Jackson call her name but she was still too stunned to do anything other than lean forward and rest her forehead against Marcus' temple._

 _She didn't know how much time had passed before she heard Jackson's cries for help. All she wanted to do was scream at him to leave her alone but when her head swiveled in his direction to find his hands covered in blood, her training kicked in._

 _A still kneeling Indra helped Abby to her feet and when their eyes met, Abby was relieved to find in Indra's slow nod a fierce promise not to leave her friend's side._

 _On shaky legs, Abby reached Jackson just as a stretcher arrived. The Azgeda Ambassador was lifted quickly onto it and Abby straddled his legs to continue chest compressions as they were carried back to the infirmary. Her work taking her away from the lifeless body of the man she loved and the Trikru warrior still standing guard over it._

* * *

 _Indra took deep, calming breaths and steadied her trembling hands as she watched Octavia unravel before her eyes._

 _"I want every traitor responsible for this found." Octavia paced in front of her, boots tracking the blood of the dead across the deck. To one Guard she ordered, "Tie them all." She pointed to the center of the room. "There."_

 _Pride at Octavia's willingness to disregard their new bunker laws to enact the more bloody and painful Clan punishment for this grievous attack swelled within Indra's hardened heart. She didn't have it in her to council mercy. Not now. She knew Kane would do so but she was not as strong as her friend in matters of peace. She wanted vengeance for his death and she would do everything in her power to help Octavia achieve it._

 _"They will suffer for this," Octavia hissed as Guards stood at her side, eyes darting every which way to ensure there would not be another surprise attack. "All of them."_

 _An armed Nathan Miller appeared at Indra's side and she recognized the firm set of his mouth as he stared at the carnage at his feet._

 _"I need a litter," Indra said sharply. He understood immediately and vanished in the direction of the infirmary._

 _"Octavia," Indra reached out to stop Octavia's pacing._

 _"I want everyone confined to quarters," Octavia continued, rage simmering beneath her skin. "And the," her eyes swept across where Kane still lay and Indra felt her throat constrict, "wounded to the infirmary for treatment."_

 _As Octavia attempted to cross in front of her, Indra's hand tightened around her arm. "Octavia."_

 _Octavia huffed in annoyance. Her stance challenging as she turned to fully address her friend. "What?"_

 _Miller returned with a stretcher and set it down at their feet. Octavia needed to be distracted. Immediately._

 _"I need your help." Indra knelt and nodded to Miller. Together they settled Kane's body onto the stretcher. When Indra glanced up, Octavia knelt beside her. Together, the three of them reverently carried their friend's body to the infirmary._

 _The crowed outside the infirmary parted as the passed. When they'd transferred the body onto an empty bed, Octavia ordered everyone out. Niylah glanced their way as she worked to clean and bandage minor injuries but there weren't many. The damage had been swift and exact with very little collateral damage._

 _Behind a floor to ceiling curtain on the far side of the large room, they knew Abby worked to save the life of the Azgeda ambassador._

 _Niylah finished tying off the bandage and Indra watched as she slowly approached with a basin of water. With a solemn nod, she offered a cloth to both warriors._

 _Indra watched Octavia set her jaw and take the cloth, dip it into the basin and squeeze out the excess water. Indra followed her lead and steeling herself for the task ahead reverently began to wipe away the blood from Kane's skin._

 _They worked in silence, Niylah stepping in to lend a hand whenever she saw the two falter. She helped them remove his shirt and pack the bullet wounds and then stepped back so they could finish cleaning away the blood._

 _Just as they finished, Abby stepped out from behind the curtain, a smile on her lips that in no way reached her eyes. But Indra understood. The ambassador had lived._

 _Then Abby noticed Kane on the table beneath the two warriors and wobbled toward them on shaky legs. By the time she'd crossed the relatively small room, there were tears dripping from her eyes._

 _With strength born of a leader who understood loss, Indra watched Octavia square her shoulders and turn to Abby. "I'm sorry. His death is a loss to us all."_

 _Abby threaded her fingers through Kane's newly cleaned ones and Indra backed away, indicating with a short nod to Octavia that it was time to leave. When they reached the infirmary doors, Indra glanced back as Abby's façade crumbled and the sobs began._

* * *

 _By the time Indra and Octavia made it back to the central chamber, posts had been erected and those responsible had been tied to them. All Skaikru. Four in total._

 _Residents loitered to witness their punishment as Octavia returned to her spot on the still bloodstained ramp._

 _With a firm nod from Indra, she began, her tone firm and emotionless. "In accordance with Clan law, you will suffer the death of twelve hundred cuts."_

 _"So you'll change the law as you see fit rather than allow us a trial?"_

 _Octavia turned murderous eyes on Jaha. "You killed the only person who would have insisted you be tried instead of immediately put to death." She paced in front of him; a caged animal ready to thrust a dagger straight into his heart for his treason. "And I would have listened to him."_

 _Indra noticed a flicker of regret cross Jaha's face but felt no sympathy for the choices he'd made that had led to the failed rebellion and the death of his supposed friend._

 _"Marcus wasn't the intended target."_

 _"No, I was. He was collateral damage in your war with eleven hundred strangers." She slid her sword from its sheath. "You don't even know your own history. Our history. The history our ancestors tried to erase. Just as Skaikru became the thirteenth clan in Lexa's coalition, the ancestors of Becca Pramheda, the first Nightblood, originated from the Thirteenth station that was destroyed on Unity Day."_

 _Octavia turned to face the growing crowd, fury raising her voice. "We are all one people! One clan! We always have been."_

 _She stared down Jaha and he defiantly held her gaze._

 _"E pluribus unum. Kane found it in the history of this place while he was writing the bunker charter. It's the motto of the old United States of America. The motto used to bring the Ark stations together to save the human race. Out of the many, one."_

 _She addressed the room with a confidence that made Indra proud._

 _"Just like us."_

 _Her eyes fell on Abby as she wove through the gathered crowd to stand at its edge. Her eyes were bloodshot and watery and she only looked able to stand due to the strength of Jackson and Miller who flanked her._

 _"The history of this world is written in the blood of those who came before. In the sacrifices and the struggles to rebuild a land ripped apart by greed and war." She walked around the room, commanding attention. "We will not be that people. Out of the many clans, we have become one. E pluribus unum. We are all grounders. We are all Skaikru."_

 _Octavia rested the tip of her sword at Jaha's neck and with a miniscule flick of her wrist drew a shallow line of blood across the skin. "You betrayed your friend and your people. For your treason, you will die."_

 _Octavia yanked a dagger out of her boot and held it out to Abby._

 _Abby stared at it in horror. One hand cradled her belly as she whispered a firm, 'No." Said it again. And again. Each successive repeat louder than the last until she was screaming the word._

* * *

Jackson burst into the supply room unannounced as Abby's tortured scream of terror echoed off the walls. He caught her just as she rolled off the bed and continued to scream, one hand clutching her belly, the other pressed to her chest over her racing heart. Her clothing was drenched with sweat and her hair was plastered to her sticky skin.

"Abby? Abby?!" She squeezed her eyes shut. Didn't want to see the pity and heartbreak in Jackson's eyes.

"No! Go away!" She howled, tears streaming down her cheeks. She couldn't be here. She needed to get out. The room was too small. Too full of memories.

"What is it? What can I do?" She dimly noted the desperation in his voice but didn't care.

She struggled out of his grasp, pushed herself to her feet and hurried on unsteady legs toward the open door – and froze.

Marcus skidded to a halt in front of her flanked by heavily armed Guards.

"Abby?!" Marcus pulled her into his arms but she resisted, eyes wide with disbelief. "What's wrong? What's happened?"

"You're dead," she whispered, tone full of anguish. "You died. How are you- what's happening?" She stepped away from him, fingers rubbing her temples, confused and disoriented.

"Abby?"

She heaved a few deep breaths and glanced around the room; at Jackson, the Guards, Marcus, standing shockingly still around her.

Trembling hands danced across his face, his lips, down his neck to feel the pulse thundering beneath the skin. Disbelief raged behind her eyes. "You were dead."

He blinked in confusion.

"I'm gonna-" Jackson moved out of the room as Marcus led her inside.

"We'll be fine," she heard Marcus assure Jackson and the guards. Felt his overwhelming presence inch closer once the door had firmly shut them inside.

"Abby?"

She paced among their meager belongings, feeling like a caged animal. Realization finally dawning on her frayed nerves. "It was a dream. It was-. Oh God, it was a nightmare."

"Abby? Talk to me." His voice was a balm to her soul.

She glanced at him with tears in her suddenly very clear eyes. It had been the worst kind of dream. Real and visceral. Octavia had made the announcement today and they'd had a bit of an uprising, which was why he'd not been there when she woke.

Out of the blue, she revealed, "I had a sonogram today." They'd scheduled it and he hadn't been there. He'd been doing his duty as Octavia's Ambassador. Once again putting the many before the one. Or in this case, three. And she couldn't hate him for it. He'd always tried to do what was best for his people.

He regarded her with patient affection that grew to concern when her face crumpled in sorrow and fear.

"We're having twins." She was still numb with the news.

If she hadn't been so incredibly scared and wrong-footed at the moment, his reaction would have been comical. His mouth fell slack and his wide eyes disbelievingly searched hers.

And she knew he couldn't yet have put together why she was so incredibly scared. Why maybe her subconscious mind substituted his death in place of one of their children.

Octavia had promised that their child, _singular_ , would be one of the 13.

And now there would be two.

END


End file.
